I reacquainted myself with a Yeti (CR140 SE with fabric seats) test drive at the weekend, prior to placing an order. There's much to like about the Yeti, which is obviously why I'm imminently contemplating an order, but - if I'm being critical - there were a few points where I'm still not 100% convinced. These were:

The Yeti seemed noisier than I remember, both engine noise under acceleration, and wind noise at 60mph plus - the latter seemed to be coming from the top of the windscreen (though my hearing isn't wonderfully directional so I could be mistaken as to source). Although it wasn't super windy yesterday, there was nonetheless quite a stiff breeze - maybe this was a factor, perhaps especially when it was a crosswind?

The seats still seem rather uncomfortably firm, if not outright hard. Is this something that you do get used to or would others now prefer seats with more give?

On some motorway and main road stretches with stone chippings protruding through the top bitumen surface, the ride seemed very, well, rippley if that's a word, ie lots of low-frequency vibration - to an extent that was starting to get uncomfortable. I started to wonder if a wheel was unbalanced but then the problem seemed to disappear on smoother surfaces. Trouble is that quite a lot of the main road network these days is not very smooth-surfaced!

Anyone else recognise or share these reservations, or can provide any reassurance that I'm maybe exaggerating their significance?

Can I just say again - I'm absolutely not trying to bash the Yeti here, there's much about it that impresses me. But equally I'm not from the love is blind school of motoring - whatever car I drive, I'll weigh its pros and cons. So before making a final decision I just want to make sure I've got the measure of the cons. Also, it may be that there's nothing useful anyone can add to my own comments - I appreciate that the points above obviously are all fairly subjective. But maybe someone has got something to say that could nudge me one way or the other?

Agree about the seats...VAG seats aren't the best in my view, other stuff didn't really notice

I reacquainted myself with a Yeti (CR140 SE with fabric seats) test drive at the weekend, prior to placing an order.

Hi Prodata,

You mention you test drove the above but what Yeti model /spec are you thinking of ordering?

We have the Elegance TDI CR 140bhp 4x4 with gobi leather and have found the front seats very comfy - like big armchairs and with the heated seats switched on- which seems to extend up your back- it's enough to send me to sleep! :zzz:

Even the back seats which are firmer have a lot of support and give in them ...although not all enveloping like the front ones.

We haven't noticed excessive wind or tarmac noise to date and we think the engine is very quiet- but then again we have just scrapped a very old and falling apart and noisy 2 litre Rover Tourer and the Yeti is in another world

Hope this helps.

The Yeti is an exceptionally quiet vehicle, which is why you may have noticed particular noises. On ours (same spec) any change in the road surface gives a change of noise through the tyres and there is some wind noise through the roof bars.

Being plebs (unlike Lady P) we have the standard SE cloth seats. They are firm but, in my opinion, comfortable. There is such a range of movement that it is always possible to get a good seating position.

I do find that, when the seat is right for pedal position, the steering wheel is a bit far away. I put this down to my previous car, an X-Trail, where I was very close to the wheel so I got used to this compressed position. Having driven sports cars in my youth, I should be used to the straight arm steering position but now it feels wierd.

Do compare the overall noise level in the Yeti with other vehicles. Again, in my case, it is much quieter overall than the Nissan.

You mention you test drove the above but what Yeti model /spec are you thinking of ordering?

Sorry - it would be a CR170 Elegance. (Actually in some ways I might prefer the 1.8TSi - I do like the revability of petrols better, but CO2 is disappointingly high @189 (not 100% sure why, given that eg a 200+ BHP Golf GTi manages 170) and reports of high fuel consumption to match. Also, the power/torque curves of the CR170 seem everywhere - up to 4500 at least - to be better than the 1.8TSi so in principle one would guess the CR170 ought to have better performance but I've not seen any figures that bear that out.

Current drives are a 2004 Accord 2.4 and a current model CRV and you're absolutely right that how you feel about a test drive depends so much on what you're used to driving. The seats on the CRV are way better than the Yeti I'd say - if you think the Yeti leathers are like armchairs then try a leather CRV! (But there are too many other things about the CRV that don't appeal - jellymould shape, clumsy handling (where the Yeti excels), limited performance etc.)

I've not had extended opportunities to drive a Yeti which I think you'd need to get a good judgement on how consistent noise is. However I have driven, or been driven in, 3 Yetis: 2 Elegances, one a TDI 170, the other the 1.8TSI, and an SE 1.2TSI. I quickly noticed road noise in the 170, I can't recall in the 1.8, but the 1.2, which I drove most recently, and spent most time, struck me as remarkably refined, including the absence of road noise. Possibly 4WD is noisier than 2WD?

One or two reviews have commented on road noise at speed,though more seem to comment on the refinement!

I have only driven the 1.2 TSI Yeti and found the refinement particularly impressive (both insulation from road and engine noise) and ride quality. I did not drive enough at high speed to comment on wind noise but I have been driving a Smart Fortwo of late and anything feels refined after that little terror. I have read that the diesels can sound a little gruff but I haven't driven one to be able to comment. As for the seats, yes VAG seats do tend to be firm but they are also some of the only seats that do not give me back ache on a long trips. (Same goes for Mercedes seats; it is a German thing)

On my CR170 SM you can hear a bit of engine noise above 2000rpm as you accelerate but it is never intrusive and ultra quiet compared to the PD130 in my Fabia vRS.

As for wind and road noise, again, I can't say I've noticed it at all - and no I don't have the music on 'loud'! Perhaps it's down to being naturally hyper-critical when you're test driving something and actively looking for faults?!

Seats are standard Germanic firm but as Lady P says, the Elegance seats are not uncomfortable and the heater is splendid! I fairly often do 2 hour drives and it is fine.

CR170 motor is great, 3700 miles now and it gets more and more fun better all the time...

Lady P - hope you don't go to the land of nod when driving!!

Noise - keeps coming up as an issue, but I've done over 6,000 miles and this is one of the most refined cars I've owned, 140 Tdi Elegance (concrete surfaces kick up a racket, but that's about all, no appreciable wind or tyre noise).

Ride / handling is great - personal opinion but again as good as any car I've owned (mainly VW and Audi, but with a Volvo XC90 in there recently).

Seats - less 'sporty' than my recent cars, but more comfortable for it. I am around 5' 11'' and somewhat wide and I am comfortable for 3 + hours of driving at a time.

I'm trying not to be blind to any inadequacies of the Yeti, but I am so pleased with this car I am struggling to find anything negative. I have just driven from Nottingham to Bristol, sunroof blind back, cruising happily and quietly at 70 ish, with an American colleague who couldn't believe the comfort and economy.

Hope this helps with your decision.

Hi,

I'm naturally over sensitive to changes in noise and vibration, I suppose from years of listening to aero engines therefore I would agree with a number of your points;

Wind noise yes from the top of the A pillar but very rare

Engine noise and vibration, slight amount on acceleration and noise wise anyway in fifth occasionally around 1600/1800 rpm which might be an induction or exhaust resonance.

Vibration from the tyres on rough road surfaces felt through the foot pedals on both summer and winter tyres.

All of the above though I have come across on other cars so it's not just the Monster. Seating wise I think there some of the better seats I've had in a car certainly better than the previous Golf.

Regards,

TP

Snehvide is definately much quieter than my previous Octy Estate with the 140 PD Engine.

Windnoise is absent till around 150 km/hr - UNLESS there is a significänt crosswind. The crosswind produces a bit of wind noise in the roof rails.

Road noise depends largely on the tarmac surface. It is very quiet on smooth asphalt, but slapping from concrete motorway surface joints cannot be eliminated.

Engine noise is a polite hum at 140 km/hr, which disappears again over 160, when the exhaust note becomes noticeable.

By the end of today, Snehvide will have 15,000 km on the clock - the last 4000 mostly at speed from Southern Spain to Denmark. Average speed while moving over the 4000 km is around 95km/hr.

Most noise is from the co-driver when she thinks the velocity exceeds her comfort level. Fortunately, the deep wells on the instruments means that she cannot see the needle on the speedo over 100 km/hr, so her comfort level has increased from around 130 in the Octy to 150 in the quiet Yeti.

10 hour driving days do make your butt tired - but they do that in any car. After a while, you get used to the low wheel/high seat combination and do not really have any difficulty seeing the instruments at a glance.

Not yet noticed noise from the roofbars.

Have noticed a bit of induction roar and tyre roar (amplified, as the rest of the car is so quiet!).

Due to taking the dog out in it, I have removed the rear shelf.

So, at the weekend, I fitted some extra insuation to the underbonnet (think the diesels have this as standard, 1.2 petrol does not) and the painted metal bits of the boot floor - significantly quieter now !

Cheap fix - http://www.riverswayleisure.co.uk/cgi-bin/sh000001.pl?REFPAGE=http%3a%2f%2fwww%2eriverswayleisure%2eco%2euk%2f&WD=sound&PN=MhomeBonnetInsulation%2ehtml%23a31300#a31300

As to seats - find mine fine. Perhaps eating a few more pies may help ?

Lady P - hope you don't go to the land of nod when driving!!

Me too!! :S

I think it will be the usual rountine when starting to feel drowsy...

Stop for a stroll, stretch and some fresh air, grab a double expresso or two

and then windows (and panoramic sunroof ) open, radio on full blast, a can of red bull in my nifty cup holder ...

but now to add to that I'll have to remember to turn the seat heaters off

Did I miss anything?

Most noise is from the co-driver when she thinks the velocity exceeds her comfort level. Fortunately, the deep wells on the instruments means that she cannot see the needle on the speedo over 100 km/hr, so her comfort level has increased from around 130 in the Octy to 150 in the quiet Yeti.

Agerbundsen!!

Yessss.... I find it most disconcerting when I'm a passenger not being able to see the instruments

In all seriousness if I'm going to be picky.... :think:

I think the fact that the front passenger and back nearside and middle ones cannot see the clock is asking for trouble

"what time is it" will overtake "are we there yet!" ... to the growing annoyance of the driver

may have to investigate a stick on clock?!! or something- do they do a blow up one... :wonder:

Perhaps eating a few more pies may help ?

Agerbundsen!!

Yessss.... I find it most disconcerting when I'm a passenger not being able to see the instruments

In all seriousness if I'm going to be picky.... :think:

I think the fact that the front passenger and back nearside and middle ones cannot see the clock is asking for trouble

"what time is it" will overtake "are we there yet!" ... to the growing annoyance of the driver

may have to investigate a stick on clock?!! or something- do they do a blow up one... :wonder:

Is there a clock visible on the radio display? Pretty sure on my Octavia there is a clock between the speedo and rev counter that only the driver can easily see but the time is also displayed on the radio wehre everyone can see it.

I reacquainted myself with a Yeti (CR140 SE with fabric seats) test drive at the weekend, prior to placing an order. There's much to like about the Yeti, which is obviously why I'm imminently contemplating an order, but - if I'm being critical - there were a few points where I'm still not 100% convinced. These were:

The Yeti seemed noisier than I remember, both engine noise under acceleration, and wind noise at 60mph plus - the latter seemed to be coming from the top of the windscreen (though my hearing isn't wonderfully directional so I could be mistaken as to source). Although it wasn't super windy yesterday, there was nonetheless quite a stiff breeze - maybe this was a factor, perhaps especially when it was a crosswind?

The seats still seem rather uncomfortably firm, if not outright hard. Is this something that you do get used to or would others now prefer seats with more give?

On some motorway and main road stretches with stone chippings protruding through the top bitumen surface, the ride seemed very, well, rippley if that's a word, ie lots of low-frequency vibration - to an extent that was starting to get uncomfortable. I started to wonder if a wheel was unbalanced but then the problem seemed to disappear on smoother surfaces. Trouble is that quite a lot of the main road network these days is not very smooth-surfaced!

Anyone else recognise or share these reservations, or can provide any reassurance that I'm maybe exaggerating their significance?

Can I just say again - I'm absolutely not trying to bash the Yeti here, there's much about it that impresses me. But equally I'm not from the love is blind school of motoring - whatever car I drive, I'll weigh its pros and cons. So before making a final decision I just want to make sure I've got the measure of the cons. Also, it may be that there's nothing useful anyone can add to my own comments - I appreciate that the points above obviously are all fairly subjective. But maybe someone has got something to say that could nudge me one way or the other?

Very interesting post - to someone in the very early stages of pondering the Yeti and whose prime consideration is to find a small-ish car with excellent ride quality - no easy task. Lots to look out for when I get around to have a test drive (on the 2wd S).

Is there a clock visible on the radio display? Pretty sure on my Octavia there is a clock between the speedo and rev counter that only the driver can easily see but the time is also displayed on the radio wehre everyone can see it.

Silly me!

Thank you Bill

It sounds like it's quite possible...I'll have to check this later as the Yetis out and about!

I have yet to find a clock on the central raido screen, alas only on the maxidot display between speedo and rev counter.

Having been out today for a 'mooch' in the car ( meaning a meander/drive for the hell of it ) can't remember how many miles but trip computer said 4 hours 52 min when we got home at an average of 31.9 mpg, I can report that road noise was never insufferable even at 130 kmh on the M23, the only time I've had something to complain about regarding snowmonsters ride was the 'ripple' surfaces which are being laid at bus stops and major road junctions in London ( but even then passengers are so much more insulated than in my vRS ). The seats remained comfortable for the entire time,something I've never been able to say about a car seat previously.

I traded this in for my 1.2 SE:

and in all honesty don't find the Yeti appreciably noisier on the road. I've taken a loss of around 150 BHP, but am seeing well over 30 mpg average, as opposed to 16.4 before!

Agerbundsen!!

Yessss.... I find it most disconcerting when I'm a passenger not being able to see the instruments

In all seriousness if I'm going to be picky.... :think:

I think the fact that the front passenger and back nearside and middle ones cannot see the clock is asking for trouble

"what time is it" will overtake "are we there yet!" ... to the growing annoyance of the driver

may have to investigate a stick on clock?!! or something- do they do a blow up one... :wonder:

There is a clock in the Columbus display and the codriver is getting quite good at folllowing progress on the Columbus - including time of arrival, sono questions of when are we getting there.

There is a clock in the Columbus display and the codriver is getting quite good at folllowing progress on the Columbus - including time of arrival, sono questions of when are we getting there.

Hi Agerbundsen,

Sadly we have no Columbus - it was an option but very pricey so passed on it as we already have a Tom Tom!

I checked this morning and no clock on the radio :'( ... unless there is some kind of secret button I have not discovered yet...Barsteward (Thank you!) mentioned on previous page that he hasn't found one either :no:

Best wishes

Lady Penelope

Edited 17 March, 201016 yr by Lady Penelope

SWMBO's reservations are:

1. She can't see the clock from the passenger seat.

2. When playing music from the SD card (Bolero) if you stop and turn off the engine, you can carry on listening as long as the key is still in the ignition. But as soon as you restart the engine the card then has to reboot itself.

My reservations:

1. Cost of the towbar when fitted by Skoda Dealer (there are other threads on this).

2. One annoying trim squeak on bumpy roads. Perhaps I'm lucky knowing others have more.

3. The power socket is too far back. It should be forward of the gear lever. I have my satnav on the right, stuck to the windscreen, this means the power cable has to negotiate the steering wheel and gear lever to get to the socket.

4. Ditto for the Audio in jack plug, why is it in the armrest? I play my portable DAB radio through the car system so there are wires where I don't want them, around the gear lever, the radio needs to be forward to get a decent signal. If it was forward of the gear lever there is still room for Ipods etc in the forward cubby hole

5a No DAB radio on the options list in the uk.

5b Other options "Not available in UK spec cars".

6. No 16" wheels on the SE.

Still the best car I could have bought for the money. All the good points far and away outweigh the above and I would recommend the car to anyone.

tom

edit to get rid of rogue Smiley

Edited 17 March, 201016 yr by Sanqhar

Please do check out this thread too :yes:

http://briskoda.net/forums/topic/159551-quirky-niggles/page__pid__1964486__st__20entry1964486

Please do check out this thread too :yes:

http://briskoda.net/...0entry1964486

Are you aiming for a mods job, LadyP with all this ever-so-helpful thread-pointing?

Just wondered.